Folding step for vehicles



May 19, w36- J. H. Goss ET AL 2,041,640

FOLDING STEP JFOR VEHICLES 'Filed DSC. 5, 1955 JH 67055 I Snyef Patented May 19, 1936 PATENT OFFICE FOLDING STEP FOR VEHICLES James H. Goss and Johnson D. Snyder,

Lewistown, Pa.

Application December 5, 1935, Serial No. 53,067

4 Claims.

This invention relates to folding steps and more particularly to an improved type of step for use with vehicles, particularly vehicles having a substantially closed body such as trailers or the like.

An object oi this invention is to provide a fold.. ing step which can be readily moved to operative position and which, when in folded position, will be disposed beneath the bottom of the vehicle body so that the step will be out of the way.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a step of this kind yieldable means in combination with a brace which may be of an adjustable type so as to hold the step in operative posi- I5 tion.

The above and various other objects and advantages of this invention will in part be described in, and in part be understood from the following detail description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in 25 body Which is shown yin fragmentary sectional form.

Figure 2 is a sectional view partly in detail taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section similar to Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the device.

Referring to the drawing wherein like symbols designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter B designates generally a body such as a vehicle body of a suitable conveyance which may be either a trailer body or the like, of conventional construction, which has a floor or bottom I0 and a door I3 in a Wall of the body B.

In order to provide a folding step beneath the door I3, we have provided a tread member II which may be substantially rectangular in plan and constructed of suitable material such as wood orthe like, which may be provided at opposite ends thereof with angle irons I2 so as to reinforce the tread or step member II and prevent Warping thereof. A pair of links I4 are secured one to each end of the step comprising the tread II and the angle members I2 by means of pivotal members I5 and these links I4 may be in the form of angle irons or other suitable supporting .means which, at their upper ends, are pivotally secured to L-shaped attaching member I6. The 65 upper ends of the links I4 are secured to the bearings or attaching members I 6 by means of pivotal members Il in the form of bolts, rivets or other suitable pivotal means. Preferably, the lower ends of the swingable supporting members or links I4 are provided with inturned end portions 5 I8 which are adapted to engage beneath the step adjacent the rear thereof so as to prevent swinging of the step comprising the tread II and the reinforcing members I2 to a position substantially beyond the horizontal. 10

The step hereinbefore described is held in operative position by means of a bracing member, generally designated as I9, and this bracing member I9 isf swingably secured to a loop or eye 20, having a plate 2|, which is` secured to the 15 underside of the bottom or iloor I0. The bracing member I9 comprises a rod member 22 which may be either solid or hollow and is provided at its outer end with an L-shaped step engaging member 23, which is adapted to engage against the rear edge and the upper side of the tread II in substantially the longitudinal center of this member II.

The inner end portion of the rigid bracing member 22 is provided with threads which are 25 engaged by a swiveled nut 24 carried by a hollow or tubular member 25. This member 25 has an eye 26 secured to the inner end thereof which loosely engages the loop 20 carried by the base plate 2l. The length of the bracing member I9 30 may be adjusted through the medium of the swiveled nut 24 so that the tread I I may be held in the desired position with respect to the body B and to the door I3 when this step is in operative position. 35

In order to hold the tread II in contacting relation with the L-shaped outer end 23 of the bracing member I9, we have provided a pair of contractile springs 2l which have their forward ends secured to eyes 28 carried by the rear edge 40 of the tread I I, there being two eyes 28, one adjacent each end of the tread II with the eyes 28 inwardly of the links or supporting members I4. The springs 2l are disposed in rearwardly convergeht relation and have their rear ends looped 45 about the loop 20 so that the tread II, when in operative position, will be held tightly against the forward end of the bracing member I9.

In the use and operation of this folding step, the step when in folded position, will be as shown 50 in dotted lines in Figure l, with the bracing mem` ber I9 disposed between the tread I I and the floor or bottom Iii of the vehicle body B. The springs 27 will hold the step in its folded position and when it is desired to swing the step comprising the tread II and the reinforcing members I2 tno operative position, the tread II is pulled forwardly, which movement will swing the links I4 downwardly.

The inturned end portions I8 of the links I4 will prevent swinging of the tread II beyond a substantially horizontal position and when the tread II has been pulled outwardly a sulcient distance, the L-shaped end portion 23 of the bracing member I9 is engaged with the rear portion f the tread II with one leg of this member 23 engaging against the rear edge of the tread II and the other leg of this member 23 engaging the upper side of the tread II. The contractile springs 27 will yieldably hold the tread I I in contacting relation with the bracing member I9.

The length of the bracing member I9 may be adjusted by means of the sWiveled nut 24 so that the brace attaching member comprising the plate 2l and the loop may be secured to the bottom of the floor I0 at any convenient location. It will, of course be understood that when the operative position of the step has been determined, the length of the bracing member I9 will not be varied.

1. A folding step for a vehicle comprising a step member, a pair of links pivotally secured at one end to the step member adjacent the rear thereof, there being one link adjacent each end of the step member, means carried by the step member to limit the swinging movement of the step member relative to the links, means engaging the other ends of the links to pivotally secure the links to a support, a bracing member, means for swingably securing one end of the bracing member to the support, a step engaging means carried by the other end of the bracing member to detachably secure the bracing member to the step member and yieldable means constantly urging the step member to contacting relation with said means carried by the bracing member.

2. A folding step for a vehicle body comprising a step member, means for swingably securing the step member to the vehicle body, means carried by said securing means to limit the swinging movement of the step member relative to the securing means, a bracing member, mounting i means engaging one end of the bracing member to swingably mount the bracing member on the vehicle body, a step engaging means carried by the other end of the bracing member and engageable with the rear portion of the step member to hold the step member in operative position and yieldable means secured to the step member and to the mounting means for the brace to yieldably maintain the step member in Contact with the step engaging means carried by the bracing member.

3. A folding step for a vehicle body comprising .a step member, means for swingably securing the step member to the vehicle body, means for pivotally securing the step member to said first means, stop means carried by said securing means and engaging the step member to hold the step member in a horizontal operative position, a bracing member, mounting means engaging one end of the bracing member to swingably secure the bracing member to the vehicle body, an L- shaped step engaging member carried by the bracing member and engageable with the rear portion of the step member to hold the step member in operative position and yieldable means engaging the step member and the brace mounting means to yieldably maintain the step member in contacting relation with the L-shaped step engaging member, said yieldable means also yieldably maintaining the step member in folded position beneath the vehicle body.

4. A folding step for a vehicle body comprising a step member, means for swingably mounting the member on the body for movement from an inoperative position beneath the body to an operative position outwardly of the body, a longitudinally adjustable bracing member, an L- shaped step engaging member carried by one end of the bracing member, a brace mounting means including ,a looped bar secured to the body of the vehicle, an eye carried by the other end of the bracing member engaging said looped mounting means to swingably mount the bracing member on the body and yieldable means engaging said looped mounting means and the rear portion of the step member to yieldably hold the step member in contacting relation with the rst named end of the bracing member.

JAMES H. GOSS. JOHNSON D. SNYDER. 

